Regional Participation for Sustainable Development

The 5^th Annual Smart Growth Conference, presented by The Pittsburgh Foundation, University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics and Sustainable Pittsburgh , was held on Friday, May 20, 2005 at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown Pittsburgh.  The Conference focused on benefits of a planning process for public infrastructure investments that integrate land use, economic development, and transportation to revitalize Southwestern Pennsylvania ’s communities.

On Friday, October 21, Sustainable Pittsburgh , the Mon-Valley Initiative and other partners orchestrated a tour that allowed local elected officials and community groups to discuss the impact that the proposed Mon-Fayette Expressway could have on several communities.

Keep checking Sustainable Pittsburgh 's website for more information on the Mon-Fayette expressway, and never hesitate to call at 412-258-6642 with questions.

Keynote address john a. powell at the 11/19/04 Equity and Regionalism Conference hosted by the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh and Sustainable Pittsburgh.

• What should the agenda concerning consolidation address?

• Consolidation can be a positive force for the city’s fiscal health, government efficiency, economic development

• But equity issues must be addressed, especially if consolidation is to be supported by the city’s communities of color

• Requires a multi-dimensional approach

• Consolidation combined with other regional solutions to address equity

• Also must include measures to assure African American power dilution does not occur (federated regionalism)

• Must address the “true region”

Please click here for an online version of the presentation.

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SP testimony on Tax Increment Financing - Deer Creek Crossing

Allegheny County Council, Economic Development Committee
Public comment on amended Tax Increment Financing Plan for proposed Deer Creek Crossing development

I am Court Gould, Director of Sustainable Pittsburgh and a resident just four miles up the road from the proposed Deer Creek Crossing development. My intent is not to be preachy but to overall, once again, register Sustainable Pittsburgh's general disfavor for use of TIF for development at greenfield sites.

Many more developers would be happy to invest in infill development at truly blighted urban sites if the playing field we more level.

TIF is a legitimate tool whose purpose is to make urban rehabilitation more attractive. Its use for areas that are not urban, never previously developed and lacking in aging infrastructure is simply not good policy and short changes our older communities truly struggling with blight.

I believe the appropriate level at which to bring integrity back to TIF is County government and urge your leadership to make a statement. Public dollars are too scare to not advance a Fix It First policy to revive our existing communities as a deliberate economic development strategy. The County is doing such a fine job in this respect, particularly for our older communities, traditional places of innovation, let's not erode their future by continuing abuse of TIF.

Please know Sustainable Pittsburgh and I appreciate TIF misuse is not limited to Allegheny County or Southwestern Pennsylvania and we appreciate the difficult decisions you make at times to take the high road.

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Equity and Regionalism - Lessons Learned

A survey of some leaders in urban areas that have undergone a form of governance restructuring and a review of relevant literature.

Background and Purpose

The current fiscal crisis of the City of Pittsburgh, plus several analyses (Brookings, Paytas) indicating that the region suffers economically because of governmental fragmentation, have caused increased discussion about the merits of some form of governance restructuring such as through boundary changes or functional consolidation.

Through this research and recommendations provided herein, Sustainable Pittsburgh aspires to ensure that considerations regarding representation of economically disadvantaged citizens and communities of color are addressed up front as opposed to being an after thought in any proposed consolidation or merger.

Download the entire report in .pdf format. (Adobe Acrobat needed)

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Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Indicators Report 2004 Available

This report is Sustainable Pittsburgh’s second comprehensive assessment of regional sustainability trends for the six-county region of Southwestern Pennsylvania. This revised and updated edition improves significantly on the first assessment, first published in 2002, and is the product of hundreds of people’s contributions, all focused on an attempt to answer this central question: are we going in the right direction? 

And the answer? In some ways, yes ... but in too many ways, the answer must be a resounding “No”. 

Explore the 2004 Indicators report on our interactive website!

Download the .pdf version of the 2004 Indicators report.

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John Powell's and Jane Downing's Regionalism and Equity Forum presentations online

For those who attended the November 19 Regionalism and Equity Forum, and would like to revisit john powell's presentation, we have provided a link to an online version of his PowerPoint presentation.

http://www.kirwaninstitute.org/multimedia/presentations/2004_11_19_Pittsburgh.ppt 

To view Jane Downing's presentation, please click on the link below

Equity & Regionalism The Impact of Governance Restructuring on Communities of Color

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DUQ to Air Champions of Sustainability Lectures

DUQ 90.5 FM is broadcasting Sustainable Pittsburgh's Champions of Sustainability lectures at 7:00 am and 2:00 pm Sundays this month. Here is the line up. You may also listen to any of the “Champions of Sustainability” series as they become available at your convenience by linking to http://www.wduq.org/prog/proghighlights.html

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Public Officials Design Institute

Towns and Gowns: Exploring Stronger Partnerships between Universities, Colleges and Neighborhoods

October 29, 2004

Regional Enterprise Tower

Hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh and the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh

This year, the Public Officials Design Institute focused on identifying prominent efforts and effective approaches to college and university involvement in the City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods – business growth, residential redevelopment and university expansions among other issues were considered. Participants examined strategies, partnerships, and implementation models that could inspire replication. 

Click here for a summary and pictures from PODI.

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Public Transportation Funding Crisis

The Port Authority has announced a proposal to increase fares and reduce service to respond to the $30 million deficit in the current budget. Public comments are being accepted until November 23rd until 4 PM. A public hearing will be held on November 4th at the Sheraton Station Square to take oral testimony. Please see the attached announcement and press release for details.

Public Hearing Notice

Fare and Service Proposal

It would be beneficial to submit your comments on the proposed fare hikes and service reductions to Governor Rendell, your state senator and representative, and Chief Executive Onorato.

The following postcard may be used to write to your state senator and representative.  Please see www.legis.state.pa.us to identify your legislator.

Legislator Postcard

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The Time Is Right for Sustainability in Business and Industry in the Pittsburgh Region

Many Pittsburgh businesses are leaders in adopting "sustainable business" practices which take advantage of cutting-edge technologies and methods to increase efficiency and productivity while minimizing environmental and social impacts.  It follows, that the region has benefited tremendously from their leadership.  The region is cleaner, healthier and has many stable and competitive businesses, and therefore optimism for an increasingly competitive economy.  Like most regions, ours is adept at supporting innovation in the business community, such as with progressive regulatory policies and strong economic development organizations.  Few regions around the world, however, have created networks for mobilizing regional resources for promotion and support of individual and collective sustainable business practices.

Sustainable Pittsburgh recently initiated a project to develop a regional Sustainable Business Network (SBN).  The SBN project purpose is to develop a business model for an organization which can effectively promote and support sustainable business practices in the Pittsburgh Region, particularly to the extent that these practices contribute to sustainable regional development overall.  To be effective, this new network will engage regional companies and their stakeholders.  Over the course of six months, two Pittsburgh contractors (Alex Lackner and Matt Mehalik) will assist Sustainable Pittsburgh in developing a Business Model for a network organization appropriate to resources and needs.  The project consists of two main tasks: a Benchmarking Study to review other sustainable business organizations and regional sustainability networks from around the world; and a Needs Analysis to determine the extent to which regional businesses are currently knowledgeable, interested and wanting for sustainable business networking and technical assistance.  Following the six month project, Sustainable Pittsburgh will strategize for the implementation of the Business Model.

Click here for more information.

Click here for a list of the Advisory Board Members

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Spotlight on Sustainability - Rivertowns Partnership revitalizes Beaver County Main Streets

Riverfront recreation, pedestrian-friendly business districts, and diverse architecture have long been part of the history of Beaver County's municipalities. Thanks to The Rivertowns Partnership of ten communities, these details will also be part of the future.  The partnership embodies the values of sustainable development by revitalizing previously developed areas, reinvigorating older communities, and providing housing and employment opportunities in a region that has suffered for decades from population decline and the loss of local industries.  Although there is still a lot of work to be done, Troiani said the Beaver Rivertowns have all the elements city planners seek in developing with the design philosophy of New Urbanism, which calls for building communities that satisfy residential, commercial and social needs, all within walking distance. "We have all of that here," Troiani said of the Rivertowns.

Click here to read the rest of our Spotlight on Sustainability

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Equity and Regionalism Conference: The Impact of Governance Restructuring on Communities of Color

For the first time in decades, leaders in Southwestern Pennsylvania are engaged in serious consideration of regional governance mechanisms and options. These discussions have taken on new urgency due to the fiscal crisis of the City of Pittsburgh and increasing evidence that government fragmentation hinders the economic competitiveness of the region. Also imperative to consideration of governance reform are issues of social equity and the impact on communities of color.

In the spirit of encouraging public dialogue, we invite you to attend:  Equity and Regionalism: The Impact of Governance Restructuring on Communities of Color

 The keynote address will be by Professor john a. powell, executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State University. Dr. powell is a recognized authority on race, ethnicity, poverty, and law. The conference will also feature presentations by local experts in the field of housing, transportation and education. Including your participation, conference objectives are to:

• raise awareness of the impact of governance restructuring on communities of color

• examine promising models and principles wherein regionalism and equity can co-exist

•  build a foundation for participation by all constituencies as the dialogue on regionalism continues in the region

This conference is co-hosted by YWCA Center for Race Relations, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Urban League of Pittsburgh and the History and Landmark Foundation.

There is no cost to attend the Equity and Regionalism Conference, advanced registration is required. RSVP by calling (412) 258-6642 or info@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Click here for the conference website.

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Land Use Management ToolKit: Resources for Smart Development

The Land Use Management ToolKit, produced by Sustainable Pittsburgh is completed and ready to be mailed to you. The ToolKit is organized by action steps to assist interested citizens and elected officials who want to guide the growth and development of their communities through the preparation of a comprehensive plan. The ToolKit also provides contacts for available state and regional technical and financial resources ready to assist you. To schedule a workshop about the use of the ToolKit or comprehensive planning, please telephone 412-258-6642 or email info@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

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Canonsburg Sustainability Indicators Report

For the past few years, Canonsburg and Washington County have been reinventing themselves. The Canonsburg area is becoming known as a center for learning, high technology and innovation, a richly diverse population, and beautiful natural and historic amenities. In order to continue to move steadily in this vision and achieve positive and sustainable results, The Borough of Canonsburg and the Canonsburg Renaissance Group have just completed the Canonsburg Sustainability Indicators Report.

The 18 indicators outlined in the report serve as a set of relevant measures about the quality of life and the degree in which Canonsburg is living in a sustainable manner.  It will collectively provide mileposts for gauging progress for planning and action and assist with opening a dialogue about what a sustainable community means for those who live there. The indicators reflect trends in the environment, the well-being of youth and seniors, public safety, public perception, economic vitality, and the health of citizens.

Click here to read the full report. Look for an update of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Indicators Report soon.

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Land Use Management ToolKit: Resources for Smart Development

The Land Use Management ToolKit, produced by Sustainable Pittsburgh is completed and ready to be mailed to you. The ToolKit is organized by action steps to assist interested citizens and elected officials who want to guide the growth and development of their communities through the preparation of a comprehensive plan.  The ToolKit also provides contacts for available state and regional technical and financial resources ready to assist you. For your free copy of the ToolKit , or to schedule a workshop about the use of the ToolKit or comprehensive planning, please telephone 412-258-6642 or email mailto:info@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

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4th Annual Smart Growth Conference on "Regionalism, Governance and Western PA's Competitiveness in the Global Economy a Regional Success

The May 21st conference was a big success with over 200 attendees.  Among the conference highlights were the table top deliberations by conference participants on four proposed options for the region's governance reform.

An online version of the Conference's agenda can be found here.

An online summary of the four options presented will be coming soon.

To read a brief summary of the participant deliberations please click here.

Articles about the conference can be found at: 

"Officials tout merger benefits"

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

"Panel: City in need of regional thinking"

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 

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3E Links

Our regular mailing, 3E Links, detailing sustainable happenings in the area, is now online for your perusing pleasure.  Click here to read all about Sustainable Happenings near you!

Discover our 3E Links Archive!

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Pennsylvania Public Transportation Funding Crisis

Pennsylvania is in the midst of a Public transportation funding crisis, we have created a separate website to detail the actions that Transportation for livable communities has taken to rectify this situation.  Click for our special Public Transportation Funding Crisis page.

Sustainable Pittsburgh Presentation to SPC

Court Gould of Sustainable Pittsburgh participated as an invited panelist at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's annual retreat on March 4. "Let's explore the linkages as our region's development patterns connect to many social, economic, and environmental conditions and indicators.  Lack of regional governance and our high fragmentation may lead to the ability to do the irrational such as for decades not raising fees to deal with sewer issues and progressively fix what's in place such that today we've inherited a multi-billion dollar liability.  Instead, fragmentation enables continuing proliferation of duplicative services and administration and probably not efficient coordination of shared services.  It fuels irrational infighting among communities for ratables and thus drives a growth at any cost mentality passing costs tough decisions onto the future which deteriorates community fabric today and for example, has led to the inappropriate use of TIF for greenfield development. Lack of regionalism and our high fragmentation has lead to tax disparities which interfere with the free hand of the market, rather than serve as a reflection of it.  Fragmentation and individualized municipal planning may quietly foster exclusionary zoning favoring certain socio-economic buyer profiles.  We know our region's sprawling development pattern polarizes us socially, economically, and racially and adds to inequities in schooling, contributing to a growing disparities gap....."  Full remarks are found here.

Summary of February 27th Transportation Issues Update

Transportation for Livable Communities held a Transportation Issues Update on February 27th.  Over 50 persons attended representing advocacy organizations and local governments.  For a summary of the issues discussed click here. 

A report on European intergovernmental approaches to regionalism for urban development, economic development and strategic planning based on interviews and research of materials collected by the November 2003 Pittsburgh/Cleveland delegation to Lyon, France and Turin, Italy hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. (in which Sustainable Pittsburgh had the privilege of being represented)

A number of European cities and pan-city regions have been redefining their missions and economic development strategies for decades. These cities have shown that a new approach to the demands of globalization, which includes new strategic planning processes, large-scale citizen participation, and new forms of regional governance, can effectively transform local government and economic development policies within and between urban regions.

A clear lesson from the Lyon and Turin experiences is that economic development must have a broader mission - regional transformation.  Once a clear vision of the future is articulated, civic leaders must then craft a multifaceted approach that takes into account the disparate community attributes that are key to moving the community toward that vision.  This approach must include core strategic elements similar to those employed by Lyon and Turin:

• organize processes for forging regional vision and regional governance,

• nurture key industry sectors and encourage innovation in mature industries,

• cultivate quality of life and place,

• foster social cohesion, and

• build the education system and talent pool to keep the community thriving.

The cities of the Eurocities initiative learned that a fragmented metropolitan area limits itself in the context of intense international competition.  And fragmentation will hinder the effectiveness and consistency of a regional strategy implementation...Greater Lyon has become a leader in regional planning among European metropolitan regions...Greater Lyon (the formal name for its regional governance structure) has united 55 municipalities and 1.2 million people under a regionalized tax structure and one governmental authority of 155 elected leaders.  Voting on projects is proportionally weighted to the population represented by each elected leader...Greater Lyon’s regional planning powers encompass roads, water, wastewater, maintenance, transportation, parks (including physical spaces for industrial or “technoparcs”), zoning, and land use planning. It also seeds and supports various economic development functions. In addition to Greater Lyon, there is also a “Greater Rhone” economic development agency.  Both governmental entities in turn are able to combine their development funding to provide focused financial support for industry cluster initiatives within the region, as well as take a regional approach to transportation and land use planning, including the physical placement of economic development projects.

This view has in turn led these civic leaders to make conscious political and policy decisions that will empower citizens and ensure they are more actively involved in community decision-making.  In addition to citizen participation in strategic planning, both cities have also instituted efforts to engage their citizens in major development and public policy decisions, including where and how to redevelop a neighborhood, as well as how best to improve the transportation infrastructure.

Click here for a .pdf version of the report.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth: Strengthening Communities and Regional Economy -- Invitation to be part of the growing constituency in support of our region's economic transformation.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth: Strengthening Communities and Regional Economy is fueling public discourse around the region on need to revitalize and strengthen our existing communities as a key strategy and prerequisite for regional quality of life and economic competitiveness.

Based on insights from land use trends forums Sustainable Pittsburgh held around the region, Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth identifies strategies for prosperity by linking economic performance to good fiscal management focusing public investments on revitalizing the region's established communities to reverse trends of sprawl and decline. The timing could not be better as developers, advocates, and elected officials are supporting a Smart Growth agenda.

Citizens' Vision recommends key actions that include making public officials and community leaders aware of a profound contradiction that pervades the region and Commonwealth. It is a contradiction that compromises our economic prowess in the Global economy, diminishes citizens' economic well-being, is within our control to reverse, and demands immediate attention... The Commonwealth’s and our region's economic and demographic decline with significant sprawl cannot be sustained in a region of livable communities!

Together, Citizens' Vision for Smart Growth and Back to Prosperity by the Brookings Institution are a call to action. Your support is needed. Please join with the organizations that have signed on as Endorsing Partners of Citizens' Vision in support of its Smart Growth strategies for our region's development including: 

• Regional land use planning that designates "Growth Areas" (currently served by public sewers) to steer development to existing communities, targeting public spending to reinforce existing infrastructure ("fix-it-first") and multi-jurisdictional approaches to planning and services.

• Regional consideration of tax base/revenue sharing to foster growth in appropriate places.

• Considering Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) reform so that its programmatic priorities represent region-wide objectives and foster multi-jurisdictional cooperation.

• Increasing accountability of entities that set priorities for capital improvement investments to be more responsive to and reflective of region-wide needs. 

• Adoption by SPC and the Port Authority of Allegheny County of the 20/20 Regional Transit Vision Plan as basis for “focused growth” regional planning.

Sustainable Pittsburgh will work collaboratively on these strategies for regional reform and support statewide efforts to advance municipal, county, regional, and state cooperation.

Please add your organization to the growing list (to see list click here) of those that endorse Citizens' Vision and help build constituency as we take both Citizens' Vision and Back To Prosperity around the region. To endorse Citizens' Vision, simply call (412) 258-6642 or email info@sustainablepittsburgh.org. There is no fee to endorse. If you would like a presentation of Citizens' Vision and Back To Prosperity, we can arrange a visit at your convenience. These reports can be found respectively at: http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/NewFrontPage/Citizens_Vision.html  and www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/pa.htm.

"Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania." The Brooking Institution released Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania on December 7, 2003.

This report contends that the economic future of a major rust belt state depends on revitalizing its demographic mix and curbing some of the nation's most radical patterns of sprawl and abandonment. Above all, the study reveals that Pennsylvania's highly decentralized growth patterns are weakening the state's established communities, undercutting the very places whose assets the state needs to compete in the knowledge economy. Ultimately, the report concludes that these trends are not inevitable, and can be reshaped if the state embraces a dynamic new vision of economic competitiveness that links the Commonwealth's desire for prosperity to the need to revive older cities and towns.

Click here to access the report.

To read what others are saying about the Brookings report, click here. 

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Listen to Champions of Sustainability Online

Sustainable Pittsburgh and WDUQ invite you to listen to Champions of Sustainability at your convenience on line! Champions of Sustainability, the education forums, presented by Sustainable Pittsburgh and recorded for later broadcasts by WDUQ, can now be heard on http://www.wduq.org/news/sustainability2003.html audio archives. Just click on this web address to hear the following lectures in their entirety:

john powell, Executive Director of the Ohio State University Institution for Race Ethnicity in the Americas: "Racial Implications of Regional Development." john powell addresses opportunity to adjust regional policies on transportation, housing, land use and economic development to achieve greater equality through Smart Growth. His observations linking government fragmentation in southwestern Pennsylvania to a growing disparities gap frames policy options for today's regional equity imperatives.

Manuel Pastor and Angela Glover Blackwell, "Building the Uncommon, Common Ground: Regional Alliances that Promote Equity and Prosperity." Pastor is the director of the Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Blackwell is president of PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy group. They will explore issues related to economic growth, land use planning and development, and race and social justice.

Neal Peirce, nationally syndicated columnist and author of "Citistates: How Urban America Can Prosper in a Competitive World." Peirce is chairman of the Citistates Group, a network of journalists and speakers who believe that successful metropolitan regions are today's key to economic competitiveness and sustainable communities. Speaking at the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County's annual conference, he addresses how Southwestern Pennsylvania can work together to achieve Smart Growth.

Bruce Katz, Director of the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at the Brookings Institution: "Back to Prosperity: A Competitive Agenda for Renewing Pennsylvania." Katz discusses findings and recommendations of a new Brookings Institution report on metropolitan growth and community renewal in Pennsylvania. He reviews the implications of current demographic, market, and development trends on the health and vitality of Pennsylvania and its older communities. Katz defines an agenda for revitalizing cities, towns and older communities and helping the state and the region to grow in more competitive, fiscally responsible ways.

Please note: If you have problems listening with your current audio program, WDUQ recommends that you download a free copy of QuickTime at http://www.apple.com/quicktime.

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City's Finances - A Call for Metro-Scale Reforms

Is it possible that "Pittsburgh's bankruptcy" may be just the push needed to grapple with regional solutions to financial crisis at the hub? Pittsburgh's destiny is that of the region. The recent Post-Gazette poll suggests the public knows this too - with high eighty percentages of both City residents and suburbanites acknowledging the City's fiscal health and livability as important to the whole region and indicating support for City/County consolidation as well.

Read the entire article http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/City_Finances.htm.